Check it yourself --4 things you should knowabout your home air conditioner

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by M LeMont

If your home air condition unit is not cooling check these 4 things before you call a dishonest and costly repairman.

This post could save you $1,000-$3,000.

Itwas 2:00 am, and the air conditioner stopped cooling. During the
summer it is hot as hell in Houston.

I had no choice but to take on the daunting task and troubleshoot the problem. Now I'm not a handyman by no means; Michael Jackson said he was a lover, not a fighter, well I'm a writer and not a repairman. Although my wife loves to see me, fix things--for some unknown reason she thinks it's manly. I just didn't want to get ripped off like I did a few years ago by AHS, (more on AHS in another blog).

Anyway, I pulled out my trusted iPad to GOOGLE and here's what I found.

1. Go outside and see if the copper lines are frozen- the pipe will be caked withwhite ice.

2. Check air filter - If filthy replace it.

3. Turn the thermostat from auto to the "on" position. Run for approx 2 hrs until the white ice on pipes melts.

4.Check pipe insulation around copper line. If the insulation has eroded, it will cause the pipes to sweat and build up a layer of frost. Buy insulation at Home Depot and it's simple to wrap around the pipe. The copper pipe is outside behind the air condition unit and is the larger of the two pipes near ground level.

I was guilty of all 4 steps and as soon as I completed each step
the ice melted. Done.
The air came roaring back on!